Playa Plana Hotel

The whole place was very clean, and the pools were kept at a nice temperature for swimming. Great sunset views, drinks, and food, with service that was truly exceptional. Special shout-out to Julio, the bartender, who always went above and beyond. No complaints, and I'd definitely come back.

The black sand beach is beautiful, though the water is rough. Having a restaurant on site was convenient, and the staff were friendly. The menu is large; the food was alright. Some things cost too much while others were reasonably priced. The room and bathroom were fine, nothing special, and we enjoyed our visit.

I liked being somewhere more secluded, even though the place is far into El Hawaii. A walk along the black sand away from the hotels was lovely. The beach is beautiful for relaxing, with lounge chairs around the dining area, but the water is very rough. I think there was only a lifeguard stand by the hotel, so swim at your own risk. The pool area was nice, and there was a basketball net outside. The restaurant has a big menu, and the food was alright. It was handy having it on site, and staff were friendly. Some things were overpriced, others reasonable. The room and bathroom were fine but nothing special. We enjoyed the visit, though it was a bit pricey. From what I could tell, there wasn't 24-hour service for things like check-in. It didn't feel like any other hotel I've stayed at.

The staff were friendly, and Playa Plana had the basics we needed: gated parking, clean pools, rinse-off showers, air conditioning in the rooms, and cable TV. WiFi was limited. It’s a bit of a drive from Monterrico, though easy to find.